He didn’t erase his displeased expression but passed by Chloe as if it were nothing.

“It’s bound in premium cowhide, so it’s extremely expensive.”

“How much is it?”

“Ten deca.”

“Oh my!”

Ten deca was equivalent to half of the pocket money she had diligently saved for two years, and enough to buy a hundred loaves of soft bread.

“Not buying it?”

“…I’ll take it.”

“If you bring the money today, I’ll give you a two hundred mardi discount.”

As the twelve-year-old girl’s shoulders drooped, the shop owner’s expression brightened. It was the moment when an item that had been difficult to import and hadn’t sold for over a year was finally leaving the shop.

* * *

Just as in the legend where Kaberdamn split his children in two with an axe, the power of the four elements was divided into eight divine powers, forming pairs of two.

The eight loyal followers of the first emperor always stayed with their other half. The divided powers yearned to become one and could never separate, so the loyal followers in the legend became four married couples and lived happily ever after.

Myths are typically stories heard in childhood, forgotten, and then told to one’s children later, but in the Solatis Empire, they were frequently mentioned in novels and songs. This was because throughout the empire’s long history, people with the power of the four elements consistently appeared, connecting myth to reality.

However, it remained unclear how these powers were inherited, and their irregular appearance cycles were so long that finding even one Divine Power Holder was like reaching for the stars. There had been gaps exceeding a century, and there was no historical record of all eight appearing at once as in the myth.

While very little was clearly established, interest never waned.

What was known was that when a Divine Power Holder appeared, there would definitely be a counterpart—called a Sorus—with the power of the same element. And the two would inevitably love each other until death.

People interpreted this intensely fateful relationship quite romantically. Since more than half of the Divine Power Holders recorded in history awakened at fifteen upon meeting their Sorus, turning fifteen was considered an extremely special time in the Solatis Empire.

In the rare event that divine power manifested, one would not only meet their lifelong partner but also receive a title as a valuable asset of the empire.

Chloe’s divine power first manifested on her tenth birthday.

It certainly wasn’t a normal case. Her power awakened early to protect its young owner when she was being beaten by a drunken uncle and was about to be stabbed by a broken bottle.

On that rainy winter birthday, she fled with moss still clinging to her entire body and wandered the deserted streets. Her feverish body made the midwinter rainwater feel lukewarm.

The first person to discover the staggering child was Aunt Ann, who was moving flower pots. Taking Chloe into her flower shop, the woman examined her swollen, bruised body and found the mark that had appeared on her left instep.

“Chloe, you must never show the mark on your instep to anyone.”

“Why not?”

“Do you know about Divine Power Holders? Yes, it seems you are one. Now there will be a line of people trying to use you.”

People who committed s*icide due to heartbreak after being separated from their Sorus, those whose Sorus was taken hostage and violated by the royal family, those who were sacrificed after being used in political struggles, and so on. Aunt Ann told stories of Divine Power Holders who met tragic ends and firmly instructed her to hide her power.

Two weeks after that incident, Chloe had nearly been sold to a tavern full of perverted drunks before dramatically ending up living with Aunt Ann.

The aunt checked Chloe’s physical condition daily but never tried to use the child’s extraordinary abilities for anything.

“Chloe! Did you revive the flowers? I told you not to do that.”

“I just wanted to help…”

“Children help by being children. You just need to smile a lot and do what you want to do. When you become an adult, you’ll miss this time.”

Chloe felt nothing but gratitude toward Aunt Ann. On the other hand, it was puzzling that she was told never to mention her divine power even to Aunt Dona.

Aunt Ann always cautioned her not to trust anyone regarding her divine power. She warned that regardless of whether someone is good or bad, people’s mouths can carelessly reveal even their own secrets, and the deepest truths can be exposed by the smallest clues.

Taking the aunt’s words to heart, Chloe was careful never to remove her shoes except when alone.

But maybe it would be okay to tell that boy.

‘Someday, Sylven might need me too.’

Chloe sighed as she infused golden light into the bright red flower with her fingertips. What would Aunt Ann have said if she told her she had met her Sorus?

Until she met those blue eyes, the existence of a Sorus had seemed so distant. Knowing that the one whose divine power awakened first would suffer from fever, she had been disappointed rather than expectant about her destined partner.

After all, the Sorus that Chloe had vaguely imagined was a grown man. Tall and handsome, with a gentle way of speaking and a kind smile.

It was the image of her father that her tipsy aunt had described.

“Your father was the most handsome man in the village. Did he die young because he was too handsome?”

When she was young, Chloe had combined stories heard from her aunt with illustrations from books to make her own assumptions about her Sorus’s appearance. No matter how much she compromised, she had hoped he would be at least four years older.

However, the periodic fevers meant that either her Sorus’s divine power had not yet manifested or it had awakened later than hers. As the possibility of him being younger gained strength, Chloe gradually stopped imagining who her Sorus might be.

But the moment her eyes first met those deep blue ones, she felt a tingling sensation throughout her body, aware only of the boy’s presence on the open street. She felt like she could do anything for that boy.

It was natural for a Divine Power Holder to love their Sorus. But what about the one whose divine power hadn’t awakened?

“Why did you bloom only now…”

Despite the resentful tone, the bright red flower known as God’s Blood maintained its dignified appearance in the pot.

Aunt Ann’s advice had been so desperately needed. Yet the method that could have saved her had only now bloomed magnificently.

“I can’t throw away something this precious, nor can I give it to someone else.”

One wrong move, and her identity as a Divine Power Holder might be exposed, possibly leading to her being dragged to the imperial palace.

Chloe sighed deeply, then opened the notebook she had bought for a hefty sum and picked up a quill. Even after that, she stared at the blank paper for a long time before finally writing small letters at the top.

Dedicated to my one and only Sorus.

Would the day ever come when she could present this densely filled plant guide to the son of the Windalune Trading Company’s owner?

The pretty boy seemed to have been born with all the conditions to be loved. Unlike an orphan living on the fringes of the world, he stood at the center as if blessed by all creation.

Exanasta

Chloe wrote the name of the flower on the next page and drew the form of the Exanasta below it.

…mainly found in the southern part of the Quoren continent. Though estimated to have existed before the founding of the Solatis Empire, the hellish guardians who helped the flower reproduce disappeared…

Moving her quill without rest, Chloe recalled the eyes that seemed ready to pour forth waves.

“I only believe what I’ve seen and heard myself.”

The young boy who had seemed to need protection unexpectedly revealed a strong side. And then he became a ray of hope, illuminating Chloe’s darkness.

Even remembering that they were bound by fate, she had been depressed by the thought that she wouldn’t match him, but as desire she didn’t know she had raised its head, she found herself looking forward to the future.

Perhaps… if she wasn’t a witch as Mr. Ranbir suggested, if God Kaberdamn had taken pity on a poor orphan and blessed her, then maybe she wouldn’t be lonely anymore.

Chloe decided to follow Aunt Ann’s advice and hold onto hope. When the time came, joy would surely find her.

* * *

Deeply absorbed in drawing not only the Exanasta but other flowers as well, Chloe only got into bed after midnight. Despite sleeping less than five hours, she woke up with a start at the sound of birds chirping.

The old desk clock pointed exactly to five in the morning. This was when Chloe’s day typically began.

Though her eyes were stiff and her shoulders ached, she knew she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. Even though there was no one here to swing a belt or slap her face, habits ingrained by fear were difficult to break.

As usual, Chloe tiptoed quietly downstairs and opened the small storage room, intending to wash up.

“Oh no.”

The water jar was empty. She had forgotten that she had poured water on withering plants the day before.

Since it was the weekend, the water delivery man wouldn’t be coming. Sighing, Chloe put empty glass bottles in her bag and left the house.

On early weekend mornings, there were few people on the streets, and those who were out were too busy with their own affairs to pay attention to a small child, making it comfortable for a walk.

Nevertheless, Chloe’s expression was gloomy at the thought of having to climb the hill to fetch water. Children her age could simply ask neighbors to borrow water, but that was out of the question for Chloe.